Cheng Liu

I would go with 18v, not only for the extra power; but also because of the greater variety of tools. As for which brand, that would depend on your needs. If you happen to have deep pockets, Milwaukee Fuel is a very strong brand. If money is an issue than Ryobi is your brand and in my opinion (as a member of team lime green) it is hands down the best brand in that price range. As a benefit Ryobi also offers many uncommon tools that most other brands do not i.e. the tire inflator, and two different sanders.

If you are not cutting down a huge tree I feel like a 40v or similar chainsaw is sufficient. I have a Ryobi 40v brushless chainsaw and it cut through two small trees just fine. I like battery better than gas because it is (relatively) quiet, lighter and requires less maintenance.

They have some advantages over gas though, such as being lighter, easier to start, more compact, quieter and less maintenance.

When it comes to OPE I prefer 40v tools. I am team lime green for power tools and equipment 18v for power tools and 40v for power equipment. I have the hedge trimmer, string trimmer, chain saw (the 14" brushless one), jet blower and pole hedge trimmer which attaches to the string trimmer. All of the have worked spectacularly. If my aunt didn't already own a gas mower I would have told her to buy the lawn mower as well as a gas mower is overkill for such a small yard.

The main reason I went with Ryobi over Ego was the trimmer. I did not like that the Ego trimmer was not attachment capable (something that most trimmers of this class are), which was a deal breaker for me. The Ryobi one has a pole hedge trimmer attachment which is useful for me because I have a lot of bushes that are both high and deep.

Many of those such as the pole saw, pole hedge trimmer and cultivator can and many times are made as attachments to string trimmers. Sadly IIRC the Ego string trimmer is not attachment capable. I have a Ryobi 40v string trimmer and the pole hedge trimmer attachment works great. If money and a need arises I plan to get the pole saw as well.

Really? The site says nothing about that. If that was so, would there be a need for a 10" and 12" model?

Those look great. Too bad they are only for 10" and 12" blades. Mine are 6 1/2".

I was carrying a bunch of tools in a soft sided bag recently and I foolishly left the circular saw blades on the inside edge of the bag and the pressure from the tools inside caused the teeth to stick out. The cut on my leg is testament to the mistake that was. I am wondering how one can store circular saw blades safely. My reciprocating saw blades came with a nice case, but circular saw blade cases do not appear to be widely available.

Would battery life in an issue though (assuming they are using an 18v battery)?

I wouldn't be surprised if it was an employee. From what I hear, an astronomical amount of workplace theft is by employees.

I have the Ryobi 18v 18 gauge narrow crown staple gun and it works great. I am planning to get the 15 gauge nailer when the funds become available. I wish they would make a framing nailer (preferably 21o), if they did that, I would buy it as soon as the funds became available.

The tool they have in Australia that I would want them to bring the the U.S. most would be this 36v (40v in the U.S.) blower/vacuum.

They already have with their OPE. I have their 40v brushless chainsaw. They also make a 40v brushless lawn mower and snowblower.

The problem I would have with Metabo is the 8 1/2" blade. That size is obscure and not widely available and would limit your selection of blades.

What I would love would me a 12" one with a slide that is hybrid (40v and mains power). I would love if Ryobi (since I already own Ryobi 40v batteries for my OPE) would make one, I would buy one as soon as I have space for it.

I am wondering why SDS rotary hammers are rated for different sizes i.e. 1/2", 3/4", 7/8", 1".... Aren't all SDS bit shanks the same diameter?

I just got a cordless 6 1/2" circular saw. I am just wondering what blades are recommended for it. I would like one framing blade (around 20 teeth) and a finishing blade (around 40 teeth). My budget is no more that $20/ea.

I find it especially surprising considering their older version did have one.

Can you not just buy a Dewalt vacuum? It's not like they don't make one.

Another issue with Hilti is that their tool selection is limited. They only have the basic 5 (drill, circular saw, recip. saw, impact driver and flashlight) and a few other things. They lack the wide selection of tools (most notably nailers) that many other companies have. Most other brands have much more than that.

They are good for stuff that requires 1 handed operation. I have a Ryobi Job Plus with the recip. saw head that I use primarily for pruning.

Regarding corded vs. cordless, that would depend entirely on your needs. If portability or convenience is a priority then go with cordless otherwise you may want to go with corded. Also is money a concern and are you already part of any tool family? I have a Ryobi cordless circular saw and it has suited me fine. I have been able to make 20+ cuts through 2x4 and several through 1/2" thick plywood with ease and the 4 mAh battery was still at about 50%. If you are making cuts through hardwood though you may want to go with a corded model.

I would love to see Ryobi and/or Dewalt do that. I mention those two because something like that would likely require 40v batteries and those two are the only miter saw manufacturers I know of that also make 40v batteries.